Mixing apparatus



Feb. 6, 1934. A. G. REED 1,945,868

MIXING APPARATUS Original Filed May 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l i 26 g 4 i51 J .30 l i E 29 l I i 34 028 Feb. 6, 1934. A. e. REED 1,945,868

MIXING APPARATUS Original Filed May 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIENTORi 1%; M

Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES MIXING APPARATUS Arthur G. Reed,Swissvale, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Transit Mixers, Inc.,San Francisco, Calif., a corporation. of Nevada Original application May20, 1929, Serial No.

364,344. Divided and this application February 6, 1932. Serial No.591,340

9 Claims.

This invention relates generally to mixers of the type commonly used formixing concrete, and more particularly to a charging boot andconnections therefor, by means of which the boot may be connected to anddisconnected from the mixer while the mixer is rotating, therebyenabling the mixer to be charged and discharged without stoppingrotation of the mixer.

The present application is a division of my copending application,Serial No. 364,344, filed May 20, 1929, Patent No. 1,848,223, grantedMarch 8, 1932.

Concrete mixers are now mounted on vehicles so as to allow the mixer tobe operated while 5 en route from the place where the mixer is chargedto the place where the concrete is to be used. The batch is introducedinto the mixer at one place, generally at the plant of the companysupplying the concrete, while the mixer is rotating, and the mixingcontinues while the material is being transported to the place where itis to be used. The mixer ordinarily is rotated by power derived from thesame source as the power which moves the vehicle. The mixer is rotatedwhile the concrete is being discharged.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a charging boot for themixer, the boot being connected to the mixer so as to allow relativerotation of the mixer with respect to the boot, and in this mannerenabling the mixing operation to be carried on while the charge is beingintroduced into the mixer through the charging boot. In the preferredconstruction of the apparatus, the mixer and boot are connected by aroller and flange connection, the rollers preferably being carried bythe charging boot and cooperating with a flange on the mixer, so as toform a connection between the parts while allowing rotation of themixer.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the present preferredembodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of the mixer and charging boot incharging position,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the apparatus while in dischargingposition,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the charging boot, and

Figure 4 is a detail view of one of the rollers and associated parts forconnecting the boot and mixer.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, there is shownan ordinary type 55.,0f cylindrical mixing drum 2. The mixer is rotatedthrough a gear 3 and other gearing (not shown) in accordance with commonpractice. The mixer is mounted on a supporting frame 4 of a vehicle (notshown), and when it is desired to discharge the contents of the mixer,it is 30 I,

tilted about its pivot point 5 by suitable tilting mechanism (notshown). 7

The mixer 2 is provided with a charging boot which is supplied from asupply hopper 8 mounted thereabove. The boot 7 is pivotally supported 5by arms 9 which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to a rod 10carried by brackets 10a mounted at each side of the frame 4. The upperends of the arms 9 are pivotally connected to a rod 11 extending acrossthe front ofthe boot. '70

gear 3. The spring 13 allows limited movement between the hopper andmixer while maintaining the connection between these parts.

The front face of the boot '7 has a plate 16 which is provided with acircular opening 17. A collar 18 is connected to the plate 16 by bolts19. Rollers 20 are rotatably mounted on screws 21 which are screwed intothe plate 16 and collar 18, as indicated in Figure 4. The rollers 20 arearranged semicircumferentially, as shown in Fig-- ure 3, each of therollers having a flange 22 which fits over a flange 23 on the mixer toconnect the boot and mixer when the parts are in charging position, asshown in Figure 1. This arrangement of flange and rollers provides aconnection'on the outside of the mixer which is not affected by thematerial charged into the mixer from the boot. It has been proposedpreviously to provide a charging boot with flanges which fit intocorresponding flanges formed in 9 the mixer. Such an arrangement has thedisadvantage that the material in the mixer tends to get between theflanges on the charging boot and mixer, thereby preventing a tight jointbetween the parts. It also has the disadvantage that considerable poweris required to overcome the friction between the sliding flanges of theboot and the mixer.

The roller and flange construction above described not only decreasesfriction but provides a connection on the outside of the mixer, so thatthere is no tendency for the material being mixed to collect, therebypreventing a tight connection.

As previously stated, mixers of the type herein referred to generallyare mounted on a vehicle no which transports the concrete from the plantof the seller to the place where the concrete is to be used. It isaccordingly necessary to provide a charging boot which will preventpremature loss of contents of the mixer, as the mixer is beingtransported. The charging and discharge opening of the mixer is locatedat the rear of the motor vehicle, and if the vehicle makes a suddenstop, particularly, if it is going up hill, there is the danger of theconcrete splashing out of the discharge opening in the mixer and alsosplashing over the opening in the mixing boot. Such a premature loss ofcontents of the mixer is guarded against in the present invention bymaking the charging boot sufficiently deep so that the charging openingat the top of the boot is located a considerable distance above theopening in the mixer, through which the mixer is charged and discharged,while the lower end of the .boot is inside the opening. By reference toFigure 1, it will be seen that the side walls and end wall of thecharging boot extend a substantial height above the charging anddischarging opening in the mixer.

The boot and mixer are locked together through a chain secured to asupport 6 for the mixer, and a clamping member secured to the chargingboot. The clamping member comprises a bracket 26 secured to the boot '7and has its lower end bent and provided with an opening 2'7.

A link 28 extends through the opening 27 and is resiliently held inplace by a spring 29, washer 30 and nut 31.

The lower end of the link 28 is pivotally connected to a link 32 whichhas a clamp 33 pivoted thereto, as indicated by the reference numeral34. The boot and mixer are locked together by inserting the clamp 33 ina link of the chain 25, rotating the clamp 33 to the position indicatedin Figure 1, and securing it in such position by means of the ring 35.

When it is desired to dump the batch from the mixer 2, the mixer istilted to discharge position, which position is indicated in Figure 2.The

51. tilting of the mixer moves the arms 9 and links 12, as indicated, todisconnect the charging boot 7 from the mixer. The links 12 and arms 9,upon tilting of the mixer body displace the boot from the "mixer so asto leave the opening in the mixer free for discharge of the batch. Therotatable rollers 20 allow the parts to be disconnected while the mixeris rotating. It is necessary, of course, to disconnect the chain fromthe clamp 23 before discharging the material from the mixer.

After the batch has been discharged, the mixer is again lowered, thusbringing the boot into the position indicated at Figure 1. The chain andclamp are again connected and the parts are again ready for charging anew batch of material into the mixer while the mixer is rotating.

fIt will be seen that the charging boot acts also as a gate to preventaccidental discharge of the mixer contents, and is in effect a gatehopper.

I have illustrated and described the present preferred form of myinvention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may beotherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

.1; Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe, a charging boot pivotally supported from the mixer frame, aroller and flange connection between the boot and mixer on the outersurface of the mixer, and means connected to the boot and mixer adaptedto disconnect the boot from the mixer as the mixer is tilted.

2. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe and having an opening through which it may be charged anddischarged, a charging boot pivotally supported from the mixer frame, aroller and flange connection between the boot and mixer on the outersurface of the mixer, the charging boot having a charging opening at thetop thereof through which the boot is charged, and a delivery opening atone end through which the charge is fed to the mixer, the chargingopening of the boot being located a considerable distance above theopening in the mixer, whereby premature loss of material from the mixeris prevented.

3. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe, a charging boot pivotally supported from the mixer frame, aroller and flange connection between the boot and mixer on the outersurface of the mixer, a

link pivotally connected adjacent one end to the boot and adjacent theother end to the mixer, said link being adapted to disconnect the bootfrom the mixer as the mixer is tilted.

4. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe, a charging boot, arms pivotally connected to the sides of theboot, said arms being pivotally connected at their other ends to themixer frame, .a roller and flange connection between the boot and mixeron the outer surface of the mixer, and a link pivotally mounted adjacentone end to the boot and adjacent the other end to the mixer, said linkbeing adapted to disconnect the boot from the mixer as the mixer istilted.

5. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe and having an opening through which it may be charged anddischarged, the mixer having a circumferential flange adjacent theopening on the outer surface thereof, a charging boot carrying flangedrollers arranged circumferentially and adapted to fit over the flange onthe mixer when in-charging position, said charging boot being pivotallysupported from the mixer frame, and means connecting the mixer and bootarranged to disconnect the ooot from the mixer as the mixer is tilted todischarge position.

6. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe, a charging boot, arms pivotally connected to the sides of the.

boot, said arms being pivotally connected at their other ends to themixer frame, flange rollers arranged circumferentially on the chargingboot, the mixer having a circumferential flange adjacent the outletopening thereof, links pivotally and resiliently connected to the mixerand pivotally connected to the charging boot, said links being disposedso as to disconnect the boot from the mixer as the mixer is tilted, andmeans for maintaining the boot rotatablyconnected to the mixer.

7. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe, a charging boot pivotally supported from the mixer frame, a

roller and flange connection between the boot and mixer on the outersurface of the mixer, a

chain and clamp resiliently connected holdingmeans for holding the bootin charging position, and means pivotally connected to the boot andmixer adapted to disconnect the boot from the u mixer when the mixer istilted and the holding means is released.

8. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatably and tiltably mounted mixer, acharging boot, supporting arms, each of which is pivotally connected atone end to the boot and at the other end to a support, a roller andflange connection between the mixer and boot on the outer surface of themixer, and means connecting the mixer and boot whereby upon tilting ofthe mixer the boot is displaced bodily from the mixer.

9. Mixing apparatus comprising a rotatable mixer tiltably mounted on aframe and having an opening through which it may be charged anddischarged, a charging boot pivotally supported from the mixer frame, aroller and flange connection between the boot and mixer on the outersurface of the mixer, the charging boot having a charging opening at thetop thereof through which the boot is charged, and a delivery opening atone end through which the charge is fed to the mixer, the chargingopening of the boot being located a considerable distance above theopening in the mixer and the lower end of the boot extending into theopening in the mixer, and means for bodily displacing the boot from themixer as the latter is tilted for discharging materal therefrom.

ARTHUR G. REED.

